Lowell Mayor Eileen M.
Donoghue is holding a City Book Drive to benefit the residents of the
Oglala Sioux Indian Reservation, located in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. In
late August, she met with President Clinton following his National Radio
Broadcast on Education at Edgartown Elementary School, Edgartown
Massachusetts.

As a result, she learned of
the Presidents visit to Pine Ridge, when he had visited the reservation
upon learning of the lack of resources there, ordered a public library to
be built.

Two elementary schools in
Lowell have been designated to be paired with two schools in Pine Ridge.
The two Lowell schools; The Reilly School, whose theme is
“Communication,” and the Morey School, whose theme is “Literacy for
All,” have already begun collecting books.

Several other cities scattered
throughout Massachusetts will be gathering books to add to the collection.
Alex Gallagher, of Stonehill College has already collected 2,000 books and
a local Cub Scout group of six boys collected 750 in the past few weeks.

The final “Week of Giving”
— the official Book Drop week — will take place November 15 through
19. There are 48 drop off locations throughout the city; including all
public schools, the library, Council on Aging, Police Precincts, the YMCA,
and City Hall. Every person who donates a book is asked to write a
personal message inside the front cover, encouraging all to read.

Following the collection, the
books will be delivered to Pine Ridge, by Theatre’s corporate Sponsor,
Joan Fabrics Corporation, of Lowell. Mayor Donoghue will travel to Pine
Ridge, along with Jan Paschal, of the U.S. Dept. of Education and possibly
a representative from the White House, to meet with the residents of the
Oglala Sioux Reservation.

It is expected that at least
15,000 books will be donated, according to information received from
Lowell City Hall.